Wave-motor.



Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. W. DOWE.

WAVE MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED 11113.18, 1911.

WITNESSES: Mja/0M A. W. I DOWE.

WAVE MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1911.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ATTORNEYS ARTHUR W. DOWE, F CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.y

WAVE-MOTOR.

'specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Application tiled February 18', 1911. Serial lid-609,289.

To all whom it may concern;

Be 1t known that I, ARTHUR W. Down, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Camden, in the county of Camden'and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improv/'ed lave-Motor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the' dental to storms; to provide a construction which receives and transmits the full dynamic power of the surf or waves at the shore line; and to provide a machine of the character named, the power or full etliciency of which may be augmented to a large degree by multiplying the motor'units indefinitely.

One embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference denote correspond ing parts in all the views, and 'in which- Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a water tank located upon the shore of the ocean and removed from the high water. line thereof, provided with a pumping mechanism for raising water into said tank, said mechnism being constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of the driving shaft and a rotary drum connect'ed operatively therewith; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on theline 3 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of' a drag car forming the prime mover of the driving mechanism; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the above mentioned car.

It will be understood that the mechanism herein shown and described may be adapted for many purposes, among which may be mentioned the generation of electricity for storage or direct use. ln the present disclosure the adaptation of the mechanism to the storage of water in elevated tanks is selected.

The tankA is of any suitable construction, mounted onl a foundation B suitably removed from the surf line of the shore on which the tank is erected. The distance at which the tank A is removedlfrom the `water line is optional, the one limitation being that of convenience and cost of carriage for the operating cable 10. The tank 1s prosion device.

vided with a stand pipe C extended to deliver the water from a pump D into the top of the tank A. The pump in the present instance is a reciprocating pump, being connected by means of a pitlnan E with the crank wheel 11 of the present driving mechanism. The application of the water as power thus stored in the tank A, or in any multiplication of tanks, is optional. The power thus stored may be utilized for running lighting plants orvfor operating' l`1y` draulic motors and machinery connected therewith. y l

The crank wheel 11 may be .substituted for any other convenient form of transmis-A In the present instance the said wheel is connected with a sprocket wheel 12 by means of a sprocket chai-m13, The sprocket wheelA 12 is fxedly mounted on a driving sha-ft 14. The shaft 14 is suitl ably mounted in bearing boxes 15 formed in the head of standards 16. The. standards 16 are suitably mounted on a base plate 17, which, as shown in the'drawings, is secured rigidly to a proper foundation. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 14 to rotate the same is a ratchet wheel 18.

ALoosely mounted on the driving shaft 14 is a drum 19, preferably divided by means of a fin 20 into two winding or spool sections. At the extremes of the drum 20 are formed the head flanges 21. On the ange 21 adjacent the wheel 18 is pivotally. mounted la series of pawls 22.v The pawls 22 are so arranged that one of thesaid pawls is engaged with a tooth of the ratchet wheel in all positions of the drum and' Wheel.

This construction is usual and is adapted for the purpose of avoiding the shock incident to a quick rotation of the drum into engaged relation with the' ratchet wheel.

One of the spool sections of the druml 19 is devoted to winding the cable 10. `The "cable 10-is reeved about a pulley 23 suitably would be carried beyond the pulley 23 to be secured thereto by means of suitablel ca- 110' .ble connection. For the purp ent invention all that is required is that the.

ose of the pres# thereto by means of a bracket bearing 26.

The raised position of the sheave 25 is thus provided to produce the necessary fall for the upper strand of the cable 10. The said cable 10, in this position, is utilized asan incline down which the heavy weight 27`is carried by means of the wheels 28 upon which the said-weight is suspended. The purpose of the weight 27 and the method of'mounting the same isto form an automatic re- .winding device for the drum 19, and, further,

to provide ay takeup member t( sustain the first shock of the weight delivered'on the prime mover carriage hereinafter described,

and thus relieve, by checking the sudden movement of the drum- 19, the pound or ram on the pump D or other machine connected with the drum 19.

For the above purpose the weight 27 isy Aconnected by means of yan auxiliary line 29 with the drum 19, which line is wound in the second spool section formed on the said drum. This line is unwound from the drum 19 in one direction only, and that opposite to the pull of the upper stretch of the cable 10, thus serving to rewind the said drum when the cable 10 is relieved from the pull of the prime mover carriage.

The prime mover carriage is shown best in Figs. 4 and 5. of the drawings. It consists primarily in a rectangular rigid frame the cross members 30 of which are heavily reinforced by longitudinal framing members 31.

Y l Axle bearings for wheels 32 are formed on the ends ofthe cross members 30. The fram.-

111g membersl31 are provided to support the buttress plates 33, 34 andf35. The plates 33, 34 and 35 are increased in height in the order named, as shown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In this manner any wash or drive over the upper edge of the first of said plates is caught by the second, and any wash over the top of the second plate is caught by the third.` Further, by thearrangement where the lesser area is rst presented to the full force of the blow of the/waves to be suc-y ceeded by a member of increased area, which in turn is again succeeded by a member of further increased area, results in a gradual rather than a sudden pull'on the cable'10 andthepulley 23.

v'l`l1e'pla`.tes 33, 34 and 35 are reinforced or braced in vertical position substantially as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings by truss rods 36 and 37. The truss-rods 36 and 37 aredispesed substantially as shown in Fig. 4, and are beth connected to anchor blocks 38 :incensi mounted on the members 30. This construction, it will be observed, provides a rolling vehicle adapted to roll or slide over the beach, and which is provided with impact members or buttress plates constructed with a view to the greatest rigidity or shock resisting quality. Disposed between the plates 33 and 34 and 34 and 35 are air tanks 3. :1nd 40. The tanks 39 and 40 areprovided for the flotation of the prime mover. The flotation thus provided relieves the wheels 32 from the weight of the carriage and facilitatesI the movement thereof.

It will be understood that during danger periods, such as a storm, the drum 19 is manually manipulated to wind the cable 10 until the prime mover or carriage mounted on the wheels 32 is drawn out of the water and above the high water mark thereof. The ends of the cable 10 are secured to the cross members 30 by means of eyelets 41.

In the usual operation of the wave motor thus constructed and arranged the prime mover carriage is disposed to roll back and forth on the shelf of lthe beach within the surf line thereof, thus receiving the added force of the forward thrusting or falling water of the surf as well as the surge of the waves. lVith each impact thus received the carriage is driven up the incline of the beach, and draws the outer extension of the cable 10 around the pulley 23 over the sheave 25 to rotate the drum 19 in the direction shown by the arrow a in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this rotation of the drum 19 it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that the pawls 22 engage the teeth on the ratchet wheel 18 and rotate the shaft 14 and sprocket wheel 12 connected therewith. The rotation of the sprocket wheel 12 rotates the crank wheel 11 to reciprocate the pitman E and the' plunger of the pump connected therewith.v

The rotation of the drum 19 in the direction above described winds the line 29 on the said drum and draws the weight 27 up the incline of the upper reach on the cable 10. When now the wave force is removed from the prime mover, and the plates 33, 34 and 35 thereof, the weight 27 moves down the incline of the cable 10, drawing upon the line 29 to rewind the same and to reverse the rotation of the drum 19. The pull on the cable 10 resultant on the reverse rotation of the drum 19, winds the upper extension. of the cable 10 and pulls on the outer extension thereof from the pulley 23, thereby drawing the carriage or prime mover outward into the surf of the ocean.

. Thus it will be seen that by the continuous action of the waves driving the prime mover up the beach, and the'weight 27 returning the prime mover intp the surf, the consequent rotation of the drum 19 in successive reverse directions, and 'the transrmsslon from the drum by means of the pawl and ratchet connection with the shaft 14 of a constant rotary direction to the said shaft 14, imparts through the sprocket Wheel 12 an intermittent operation of the pump D quantity Which lifts at each stroke a certain of Water to the top ofthe tank A.

Having thus described my invention,\vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A Wave motor; comprising arotary drum mounted adjacent the shore line of a bodyof Water; an operating cable Wound upon said drum; an anchorage for said cable disposed Within saidy body of Water and upon the shore line thereof; a guide for said cable raised above said drum to forman inclined runway to the said anchorage; a drag operatively connected Wit-h' said cable disposed to travel back and forth toward said drum and said anchorage Within said body of Water at the shore line thereof; a Weight member said drag toward said anchorage; and a re- Winding line operatively connected with said Weight member and wound upon said drum.

2. A Wave motor, having an endless cable drive; a wheel supported carriage operacarried by said cable to move I tively connected with said cable; and a plu rality of buttress plates vertically disposed on said carriage to receive the impact ofthe Waves.4

3. A wave motor, havin an endlesscable drive; a Wheel supporter? carriage operatively connected With said cable; and a series of buttress plates vertically disposed on said carriage; the members of said series being gradually increased in height toward the rear of said carriage.

4. A wave motor, havin an endless cable drive; a wheel supportedr carriage operatively connected with said cable; a series of buttress plates vertically disposed on said carriage, the members of said series being gradually increased in height toward the rear of said carriage; and reinforcing truss rods f or said plates adapted to maintain the vertical positlon of said plates on said carriage.

In testimony. whereof I have slgned my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ARTHUR W. DoWE. Witnesses JAMES T. lVIAGEE,

MABEL M. DUFFEE. 

